How far Friedrich Engels was from the dismissive attitude toward contemporary German annexations, characteristic of some doctrinaire distorters of Marxism among present-day German social-democrats, is demonstrated by the following statement of his, dating from 1893:

"We must not forget that 27 years of Bismarck's rule made Germany hated throughout the entire foreign world — and deservedly so. Neither the annexation of the North Schleswig Danes, nor the non-observance, and finally the fraudulent repeal of the clause of the Prague Treaty relating to them, nor the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, nor the abominable measures against the Prussian Poles had anything to do with the creation of 'national unity'" ("Can Europe Disarm?" Nuremberg, 1893, p. 27)